Determined (Sequel to Hardened)
by TheCandyChild
Summary: Len Kagamine never meant for the fiery tealette named Miku Hatsune to get involved with his 'secret' life. But after Miku is forcefully, violently, and suddenly thrown into Len's world, he has no choice but to spill. Now with Miku knowing about the horrific deeds that the Kagamine has both done and witnessed, she's officially beyond the point of no return. All because of Len.
1. Chapter 1

_Len wanted to die._

 _Was this lifestyle worth it? Living in fear and knowing that he was such a monster?_

 _That he could murder a man without a flinch?_

 _That he felt like it was getting more difficult to stop every time his anger was fueled?_

 _Hell no. It wasn't._

 _Len stared out the window from his hospital bed. He was a few stories high, probably a little higher than the height that Oliver dropped him from. But then again, the many tree branches helped soften the fall._

 _Oliver. Len didn't want to think of what happened to the younger boy after he helped him escape- it clouded his mind with uncontrollable grief and guilt._

 _If he fell from that height, would he die?_

 _Instantly without feeling, or painstakingly slow?_

 _Len stared out the window, eyes clouded with deep thought._

 _Would he even be helping anyone if he continued on like this?_

 _No. Of course not. All he did was cause pain to people he loved. He was selfish for wanting to end it all, for wanting the pain to just end at long last. He wondered how long he could keep it up._

 _But Gumi and Oliver were waiting on him, and Rin must have heard the news about his arrival._

 _He couldn't keep them waiting._

 _He couldn't break Rin's heart. Or his mom's._

 _He heard a sharp inhale and turned to face the source of the noise, a bit on edge. After all that's happened, he needed to be on edge. It was a habit that'd be hard to break, not that he'd want to anyway._

 _There, he saw a face he's been longing to see for so long. The face of his twin sister._

 _"Rin," He said with a soft, tender voice. It almost cracked with emotion, but he made sure his voice stayed strong. "It's been a while."_

 _Her eyes, glimmered with tears, which streamed down her face as she rushed towards Len and pulled him into a tight embrace. He stiffened, then relaxed. He patted her back comfortingly, almost forgetting exactly how to hug._

 _"D-Dammit, Len! You look so god damn different and- and- you fucking scared me, you little asswipe!" A small smile played at Len's lips. She hasn't changed one bit._

 _He could stay for a bit longer._

* * *

The moment the Kagamine woke up was the moment the door of what sounded like a cell slammed shut. Len's eyes opened slowly. A constant, high pitched ring and migraine infested his head. A heavy soreness rested in his muscles, making it hard to move. He wondered if it was part of the drug Tei used on him.

He was on the dirty, dirty concrete ground and he sat up, but a wave of dizziness overcame him, forcing him to nearly fall back down. His movements were sluggish and slow. It felt like his limbs were shackled to a heavy weight- the drug hadn't completely worn off, though thankfully, he was starting to regain strength by the minute.

"No! Let me go!"

There was the groan of a metal door opening, from what sounded like the room next to him. There were rusted and aging bars instead of walls, like the bars of a prison, so Len could easily see into the next room. The one closest to him- the one on his right- was where the commotion came from. And Len recognized that outraged, fury-filled voice that he often found directed towards him (he actually found it cute, the way her voice cracked sometimes, but he'd rather die than admit that to _anyone_ ) and he immediately tried to stand.

He fell as Miku was pushed into the room next to his. She landed on her the sides of her legs harshly, and Len felt worry. The ground was scratchy, dirty, and rough. Miku must have scraped the skin on her legs, but she showed no indication of pain.

"Miku!" Len called. She turned to look at him, eyes wide. She looked the same as when he last saw her, and he hated that. She shouldn't look like...like she was in a fight. She just shouldn't, at least not to Len.

The door slammed shut. Miku scrambled to the bars, as did Len. Though he or Miku obviously couldn't fit through them, they were wide enough so that they could put their arms through. They were both pressed against the cell bars in an attempt to get as close to each other as possible.

They most likely looked like a couple at the moment, but it's not like either of them cared. Nobody was around to witness, and they were concerned about the other's wellbeing.

Len cupped Miku's face with both hands, while Miku held his right hand with hers. Her left hand was outstretched, resting on the spot where one of Tei's men had stabbed his neck with the syringe.

"Jesus Christ, Miku, are you hurt anywhere else?!" Len croaked. She shook her head, but said nothing. Len examined her face anyways, checking for any additional cuts or bruises or scrapes like a worried parent.

"Fucking hell, this is all my fault..." He muttered under his breath. He was horrified that, already, a loved one had suffered at the hands of someone against Len. It was only a matter of time, he knew. But things were going so well, he forgot that his luck always came back to bite him in the ass when he became comfortable.

"Why are you here? What's going on?" Miku asked, voice trembling slightly. Len had to hand it to her, she was taking it better than expected. He expected her to hate him, to flinch away from his touch, to scream and yell at him and tell him it's his fault. That's what he was used to, not that he could blame them.

But Miku did none of that. Instead, she held his hand as if she held onto dear life and pressed herself against the bars in an attempt to get closer to him. She shed no tears nor screamed or spat out any insults or curses, but instead only had the slightest tremble to her voice.

"I..."

"You can't tell me that you'll explain later, Kagamine." Miku told him with a sort of desperate look. "This is...huge. I have to know what's going on so I can help."

"Help?" Len repeated. "I can't risk you getting hurt. You have no idea what kind of shithole I've dug myself, and what kind of pitiful excuse for a human being I am. I don't want to lose you. I can't lose you."

Miku sighed and dropped her hand from his neck, leaning against the bars in defeat. Len dropped his hands from her cheeks, but he still held her smaller hand tightly. "I know that this is dangerous, and that I'm no superhero that can fight amazingly. But how can I live with myself knowing that you're in trouble and I can't help? If I can't fight, then let me be your support. Let me help you. But if I'm in the dark, if I don't know what's going on and what to do, I can't help as much as I could."

Len sighed, vaguely swayed by Miku's statement. Yes, she made a point. She earned his trust long ago. It wasn't that he feared her getting found out by his enemies, since they've already found her. But instead, it was because that he was terrified that she'd view him as a monster, as a horrible and twisted criminal. Len feared that the most.

After all, it hurt seeing someone you love look at you with horror and disgust in their eyes, like you're a maniacal tyrant that has a special spot in hell.

Len knew that he was a maniacal tyrant that had a special spot in hell, contrary to what God had told him, but he didn't want Miku to find that out.

"You don't understand," Len told her. He stared at the hard, filthy ground under him. "I can't handle if you were to...to hate me because of what I've done. We need you. I- _I_ need you. You're family." It was out of character for Len to outwardly blurt his true feelings out, especially if they were ones that confessed his affection. But it was a tender moment, a rare, scarce moment where Len Kagamine was vulnerable.

Miku paused, letting his sincere and soft-spoken words sink in for a moment, and her heart softened and overflowed with an emotion too strong for her to fully identify. Miku squeezed his hand reassuringly and turned slightly, reaching through the bars with her other hand to place her hand on the side of Len's face. He had a nasty cut in that area, but nonetheless, he closed his eyes and leaned into her touch.

"I can't ever hate you, Kagamine." She told him. "No matter what you've done. I could never bring myself to hate you. You've done too much for me. You worried unnecessarily for me, protected me from horny creeps, comforted me during dark hours, and you've always managed to make my day brighter just by being nearby. How can I ever do so much as dislike you?"

Len was quiet. Then, he said,

"Jeez, getting all sappy and lovey-dovey already?"

Miku cracked a smile. She knew that Len was starting to get back to his old self, just a little, for her sake.

"Oh, shut up. Don't make me regret saying that." Miku said with an eyeroll. Len let out a soft chuckle.

"You're nothing like how I imagined you'd be." He admitted. Miku raised her eyebrows, not that Len could see. They were back to back against the bar wall with their fingers still intertwined, heads resting against the wall between them. Had there been no barrier, their heads would be resting against each other.

"And how's that, Kagamine?"

* * *

 _Len used to be the social kind of guy. Obviously, that part of Len was long gone. Most of what Len was had been cruelly taken by his captors, beaten out of him and viciously, mercilessly erased._

 _Naturally, when Len saw the rather pretty girl in the room, he didn't know exactly what to do._

 _It was dumb, really. It was just another person, why did he need to treat her any differently?_

 _He looked at her, instead on focusing on who the mystery girl was, suspicious that she may be an enemy in disguise._

 _She had teal hair, obviously dyed, that were up in twin tails. She looked a bit awkward standing there, hands clasped together and eyes wandering around the room. Her eyes were bluer than her hair- they looked like they had some green in them. Or were they green, but had some blue in them? Her eyes were confusing to Len. It was as if the sky and the grass had a child, or as if someone fused a sapphire and an emerald together. Maybe a diamond and a jade would better resemble the color of her eyes? Or-_

 _Len found himself off track and thinking about the mystery girl's stunning eyes, and grew irritated with himself. He wasn't here to marvel over Miss Universe's eyes._

 _She was skinny- she didn't look like she could be a threat. But looks can easily deceive, and underestimation is a person's most effective weapon._

 _She didn't exactly look like the cold-blooded killer type either, but again, he had to keep the thought that everything isn't what it seems to be in his mind. She kind of resembled the nice, yet awkward girl that was basically a guy-magnet._

 _"Who's she?" Len finally asked. Rin paused to turn and look at the girl. Rin smiled brightly at her._

 _"That's Miku. She's my friend. Well, probably one of my only friends. All my other friends drifted apart from each other, until Miku transferred to Crypton high a few months ago." Rin answered. The girl jumped slightly when she heard her name._

 _Len knew how much Rin depended on her friends. Some of her best friends must have drifted apart, too. Len felt a twinge of gratitude that the girl kept her company, and she didn't exactly seem as suspicious as when he first laid eyes on her. Until she did something to raise his suspicions, maybe she was an alright person. Maybe._

 _"Ah, I see. Thank you for looking after her. I'm Len." The girl- Miku- nodded._

 _"It's a pleasure to meet you, Len." Her voice was soft and smooth, and she offered a shiny, pearly white smile. Her voice was full of kindness, confirming Len's thought that she was indeed the awkward nice girl. Len didn't exactly know what to do in the moment, so he looked away from the pretty sight._

 _A small smile twitched at his lips for a split second._

* * *

Miku _, he mused._ What a pretty name for a pretty girl.

"Uh..."

"What? What'd you think I'd be like?"

"I dunno. Nice and awkward? Definitely not the type to curse like a sailor, that's for sure." Len replied. Miku snorted.

"Shut up, dumbass. I'm a pretty nice person. Unlike _someone_ I know." Len chuckled.

"Oh, come on, you lov-"

The door to Len and Miku's cell creaked open, the loud, sharp, sudden noise forcing Len to stop mid-sentence. The men marched in both of their cells, but neither Len or Miku let go. They both tightened their grip on each other's hand.

Wordlessly, a man tried to tear Len away from Miku, but he refused to let go of her hand. "Let me the fuck go, bastard!" Len snarled. Miku's hand was torn away from his when the guard in her cell grabbed her arm and roughly pulled her away from him.

"Get your god damned filthy hands off of her!" He roared. A guard pulled him up by his arm, but Len violently shook it off, giving him a cold glare.

"Do you want to do this the easy way, or the hard way?" The guard grumbled with a glare. "Not just for you, but for your friend over there, too." Len's hands curled into fists.

"Fuck you." He spat. The guard glared and struck Len across the face in an instant. Miku let out an anguished yell from the other room, as if she had been struck instead of Len.

Len looked back at him, spitting out the blood that had accumulated in his mouth due to the hard hit that had been delivered. "Can't do a thing, can you? Not while your girlfriend's in danger, can you?"

"You idiot! We have orders not to hurt him unless he resists!" The one in the next room shouted. "Just hurry up, take them to him. We haven't got all day." The guard grumbled under his breath.

"Oh, fine. Let's go. We're going on a little trip, you and I." The last thing Len saw was the man's toothy grin before a black bag covered his head.

* * *

When the bag was pulled off of Len's head, he was in front of a door. Nothing fancy. It was just a plain white door. The hallways were white, and the tiles made of what looked like marble. The guard unlocked the cuffs he put Len in halfway there and opened the door before shoving him inside. Miku quickly followed.

Len caught Miku when she was pushed into the room with him, instantly pulling her into a bone-crushing embrace. Miku hugged him back, burying her face in his shoulder- the one that wasn't wounded, that is.

Len exhaled, his breath shaking so little that someone almost wouldn't notice. He closed his eyes and just held her, and she didn't really mind.

"Did they do anything else to you?" He asked quietly. He felt her shake her head.

"N-No..." She whispered. "They didn't."

"Good."

They stayed in each other's embrace for a few more minutes before deciding to pull away. Len took a look around the room. It was like the one in his dream, only there was no throne. But other than that, everything was blindingly white.

And, in the corner, was the same man in the dream. He looked the same, only there was no collar or chain on him. He sat in the corner, head down, blonde hair shielding his face from view.

Len stood in front of Miku, arm out and holding her back from getting any closer to the strange man.

"Hey. Who are you?" Len asked. The man jolted, as if he was surprised by Len's sudden question. His head tilted up, just a bit, but not enough for Len to see his face.

"Kagamine..." He muttered. "Len...?" To say Len was tensed was an understatement. He didn't know this man, but the man knew him. Len didn't know if he was hostile or friendly, but either way, he was on edge.

"Yeah, and?"

The man let out a breathy chuckle and looked up at him. His hair covered most of his face, but Len could see piercing red eyes looking straight at him. Unlike the popular belief that the face of evil has red eyes, the man's eyes showed no negativity at all. Instead, they were filled with shock and fondness for reasons left unknown to Len.

Then he began to stand, using the wall as support. He nearly fell when he stood, but he managed to stay on his feet.

"You've grown...so much, Len..." He shuffled towards him. Len stiffened and pushed Miku back gently.

"Don't come any closer."

"Why are you here? You're not supposed to be here. You're supposed to be at home, with everyone else..." He continued to come closer.

"Who the hell are you? Answer me!"

"You don't belong here, Dumpling." Len froze, not because he was confused by the strange and sudden name that wasn't even close to his real one. Only one person called him that. But it couldn't be that person. It was impossible.

"W-Who are you?"

"You know who I am." The man stopped. He was right in front of Len. He looked up and smiled at him. Len felt like his heart stopped in that moment. He recognized that face. It was a face he hasn't seen in years. With a sense of disbelief, Len choked out,

"Dad?"

* * *

 **ayo ayo ayo wassup**

 **i'm back and i'M NOT LATE, GO ME**!

 **so as you guys can see, this is chapter 1 and it's veeeryy long with lots of LenKu :)))**

 **lol i hoped you guys enjoyed the premiere of** _ **Determined**_ **.**

 **Comments/reviews are greatly appreciated, hopefully all the readers who enjoyed** _ **Hardened**_ **are currently present?**

 **anyways, i'mma sign out now, hope you guys enjoyed it~~**

 **ciao~**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Yohio**_

"Sir? Sir? Sir!"

The blonde man woke with a loud noise, looking around frantically before his eyes landed on the middle-aged flight attended next to him. The woman next to him, a sleeping baby in her arms, gave him a strange look. Yohio smiled apologetically at the woman, though his heart was struck with a surge of a homesick feeling at the sight of the child.

He had two children back at home. They were rather young, only toddlers. Twins. Rin, the female twin, and Len, the male twin. Rin was always wanting to go outside and play and make new friends. She loved the outdoors. She was friends with a whole lot of people, and Yohio couldn't be prouder of her ability to get along with others and problem solve.

Len, on the other hand, was different from Rin. But that didn't mean Yohio was any less prouder of him. He was quiet and preferred to stay indoors, being a rather shy yet sweet and thoughtful boy. Unlike his sister, he didn't rush forth without a plan. He tried to think things through and see logic, which was quite surprising for a boy of Len's age. He didn't make many friends, but the ones he did make, he seemed to hold close to his heart.

"Will you please come with me for a moment? There seems to be an issue with your luggage that should be addressed to you personally." The flight attendant politely said. Yohio nodded and stood up from his seat, cracking his back once he stood. The majority of the plane ride had went by quietly, and only now has he gotten up. Needless to say, he felt relieved when he stood back up. He was about to follow the attendant to the back of the plane when the woman next to him tugged on his sleeve.

"Excuse me," She said, picking something up from the floor, her sleeping child in her other arm. "You dropped this." She handed it to Yohio. He smiled.

It was a family picture that was taken about a year ago. His wife, Riliane, smiled widely at the camera, carrying Len in her arms while Yohio carried Rin up on his shoulders. In total, they took about 10 pictures since they could never get it right. The first few times, someone wasn't ready. After that, Rin or Len kept blinking. Yohio also had to literally run to get in the picture _and_ get Rin on his shoulders in time for the camera to go off. It was near impossible, but they did it.

Although Riliane was nearly forced to give one of the twins up for adoption due to not enough money to raise a family of four, Yohio and Riliane worked hard enough to earn enough money to keep them both. Riliane loved both Rin and Len so much that the thought of losing one of them brought her to tears for hours.

"Thank you." Yohio told the woman. She chuckled.

"Your kids are beautiful, you know. So is your wife." This caused Yohio's smile to grow wider. He could never stop talking about his family. They were his whole world, though he hated to be away so often. But he finally had a job that could support the whole family, and he couldn't give it away just yet.

"They are, aren't they?" He chuckled. "Thank you, again." The woman smiled at him and gave a small nod before Yohio turned to follow the flight attendant to wherever she was leading him. Once they were where the other passengers wouldn't be able to see them, she turned to look at him, hands behind her back.

"So, what's the iss-"

Before he could finish, someone hit him from behind, and everything went dark.

When he woke, he was on land. Yohio could see the night sky above him, stars scattered everywhere, the sight of trees towering over him and the flashing lights of an airplane far up in the sky making him more alarmed than he already was.

How...?

He heard hushed voices speaking off to the side quietly, as if they didn't want to be heard. Yohio sat up, observing his surroundings. It appeared he was in a sort of light forest, definitely somewhere far from civilization. Snow blanketed the ground and fell from the sky, covering the tree branches and shrubs nearby. There were no light sources that he could see, the only light being provided from the moon and stars above. The sky was much clearer than it would be in the city, and the sounds of cicadas chirping and the occasional howl of a wolf from the distance made him come to that conclusion.

He sat up slowly. His head throbbed painfully. Yohio figured that it was because of that hit he took back on the plane. He didn't know how he was on ground and what the hell was going on, but he knew he had to get out of there. Now.

He began to stand, slowly, making sure that he made as little noise as possible. He could see the figures of two people talking a few feet away. Their faces were hidden by the darkness, but he could tell that one of them was female, judging by the heals and grey pencil skirt she wore.

Yohio decided not to stick around to find out who the other person was. They stopped talking and turned towards him, and Yohio ran like _hell_.

They yelled for him to stop, but they must've been crazy if they thought that he would. He took a right turn- there was a cave straight ahead, and had he went in there, he would've been cornered with nowhere else to go.

But before he knew it, he was on the ground with a heavy force pinning him down. "You will not disobey, Mr. Kagamine." A deep voice growled in his ear. "Or there will be very, very dark consequences."

Filled with panic, fear, and the thought of his family forcing him to fight for his life, Yohio turning and punched the person in the face. It was a man. Yohio couldn't see his face too well. He wore a black hoodie, the hood up and a black cloth covering his mouth and nose. All Yohio could make out was a pair of cold, teal eyes glaring at him.

He was struck back so hard that he could taste the blood in his mouth, and the mystery man stood up and kicked him in the stomach.

"You do not listen well, do you, Yohio?" He said, looking down at the man. Yohio gasped for air, hands grasping at the blades of grass under him. "I told you that there will be consequences, did I not?"

Yohio rolled over and kicked the mystery man's kneecap. He scrambled, trying to get back on his feet. The man let out a hiss of pain, and before he could start running again, he grabbed his ankle and pulled him back to the ground.

"You- You really are a handful." The man growled. "I've got a way to keep you from running." He raised Yohio's leg and sharply, abruptly, bent it backwards before dropping it to the floor. He ignored Yohio's screams of pain- it was just a broken leg, nothing too serious.

Yohio grit his teeth and clutched his leg. It wasn't the first time it was broken. Once, he fell off a tree trying to get Pepper, the family cat, out of the tree near their home. It was a rather large tree, too, and the cat managed to somehow get on one of the higher branches. Well, when Yohio had just grabbed the cat, the little asshole jumped out of his hands and onto a branch below him, then finally made it down. But when Pepper jumped away from him, he was shocked and accidentally leaned the other way and ended up falling and breaking his leg. But it was okay. He got treated by his family and got time off from his work due to the injury.

This time, Yohio's family wasn't here. Hell, he didn't even know where he was. However, if he recalled correctly, he may have been somewhere in Russia about 30 minutes before he was somehow abducted and brought to land. Russia or the countries around it were his best guess as to where he was.

The man took out a remote of some sort and put his foot on Yohio's throat, limiting him to only a little air. From where he was, the Kagamine could see the flashing lights of the plane. "You see this?" He muttered, toying with the remote. "There's a bomb on that plane. This remote activates it, and it will go off in about 20 minutes." Yohio's eyes widened.

"Don't- please don't." He pleaded. "There are innocent people on that plane-"

The man grinned at him.

 _"I activated the bomb before we left."_

Before Yohio could say anything, an explosion of fire engulfed the plane and lit up the night sky. The colors of red, yellow, and orange and the faint _boom_ from the explosion sent Yohio into shock. All the people on board, dead. The woman with a young infant, the one who kindly gave him his precious family photo back, dead.

"See, Mr. Kagamine?" The man whispered to the horrified Yohio. "That is the very, _very_ dark consequence I was referring to." He looked down at Yohio and took a picture from his pocket. It was the family photo Yohio treasured so much. He stared, horrified, as the man lit a match and set the corner of the photo on fire.

"And if you don't want your dear family to end up in flames, you better do what I say."

* * *

 _ **Len**_

"And...that's what happened?" Len muttered. After thoroughly making sure that this wasn't a trick, he eventually decided to speak to his father. The shock from finding out that his dad was, in fact, alive hasn't worn off. Yohio nodded.

"Yes. From there, I've been at the Blackport prison for a while. Then, about 2 or 3 years ago, Tei left and smuggled me with her. I've been her slave and punching bag ever since then." Len looked at the ground. He leaned against the wall, Miku next to him, leaning against his side with Len's arm wrapped around her shoulder. The poor girl was shivering, and since Len didn't have a jacket to offer her, tried using body heat instead to warm her up.

Len didn't understand the feelings of anger and hate towards Tei. He barely remembered his father. Why should he be so upset?

Then he realized. Family is family. Yohio cared for and loved his family relentlessly. He was a kind man, Len remembered, that cared more about his children and wife than himself.

"So...uh, how have you been...?" Yohio started awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. Len sighed.

"God awful." He replied. "If only that fucking asshole-"

"Language!" Yohio gasped, mouth agape from hearing the profane words that tumbled out of his son's- his oh-so innocent, adorable _son_!- mouth. Len gave Yohio a strange look.

"What?"

"Language, Allen Rinto Kagamine!" Len gaped at hearing his full name, and Miku burst into laughter.

"I'm- I'm 16, dammit!" Len sputtered, still flustered at hearing his full name. He never really heard it that much, but only his father would say it. Usually, it was because Len somehow fucked up.

"Jeez, Riliane would freak if she heard those words come outta your mouth!" Yohio mumbled, and Len went quiet.

He never really knew exactly what happened to his mom. She was so caring and loving when he grew up, but then once Yohio disappeared, she began acting strange. Not as...loving and caring. And as of now, Len had no idea where she was. He didn't really care, either, but she was still his mom and weird or not, God forbid anything happen to her.

"She's been acting weird since you've disappeared..." Len mumbled. "Something about her just seemed...off. When I was away, at Blackport, she abandoned Rin and said horrible things. The night I returned, she was there. She was...she was saying horrible things. She said that she would've set Rin up for adoption if you hadn't talked her out of it. Then...she tried to hit Rin. I told her to leave, and she did. I haven't heard from her since."

Yohio's eyes had a faraway, concentrated look in them. It was the look Len usually had when he was thinking about something troubling, or when he was figuring something out. Then, finally, Yohio spoke.

"Your mother..." He muttered. "When she had you, she was in love with you both. But we were tight on money. We couldn't afford to keep you both. But...Riliane..." A nostalgic and loving smile graced his lips.

"She refused to accept the idea. She held on to you both tightly and cried for hours and hours. She refused to give you two up. Finally, the two of us ended up working so many jobs that we barely got sleep. A close friend of ours, the Shion family, took care of you until we finally, finally got enough money to support the four of us." Len lost his voice for a moment at hearing his father's words.

That couldn't be right. Riliane said she hated Rin, didn't she? Why would she lie about wanting to set her up for adoption?

"You're thinking, aren't you?" Yohio chuckled. "When you were little and you thought about things, you had the exact same look on your face. You always got this faraway look in your eyes and squinted your eyes, almost glaring at the floor. Riliane said you got it from me. Which, may or may not be such a good quality, considering that when I think hard about things, I tend to look like an angry giant who's about to kill a village." Len blinked.

"I look like that all the time." Len stated, pride almost lacing his words. "And that's why people don't bother me." Yohio sighed and shook his head with a chuckle.

"How did you ever get a girlfriend?"

"Never had one. It's just how I roll." Yohio looked shocked. His eyes were wide and he stared at Len in disbelief, then at Miku.

"What?! She's not your girlfriend?!" Yohio nearly yelled.

"What? No! Of course not!" Len shouted a little too quickly, looking between Miku and Yohio with wide eyes and a flaming face. "Me? And Miku? Why would you think that? It's definitely not that kind of relationship!"

Miku glared up at Len. "What, is there something wrong with me, _Dumpling_?" Len turned to glare at her.

"Who said you can call me that, Leak Freak?!"

"Look at you two, fighting like an old married couple..." Yohio sighed. "How cute..." Len shuddered.

"This is bull-" The look Len's father gave him made him improvise. "-crap. I mean, come on, all because she's a female friend of mine doesn't mean we have romantic relations!" Yohio raised his eyebrows and a sly grin made its way to his face.

"You two sure look like one. You've got your arm around her and you two give off that ridiculous lovey-dovey aura...especially you, Len. When you look at her, you've practically got hearts in your eyes-" Yohio cut himself off, sensing Len's blank 'are-you-serious?' stare.

"Oh...sorry." Yohio said sheepishly. Len waved it off, not really minding the small mistake.

"It's fine," He sighed. "I don't really care anymore."

"But...what happened to you, anyways?" Yohio asked hesitantly. "You...should not be here. Did Tei take you hostage?" Len shook his head.

"Why do you have an eyepatch? What _happened_ to you, Allen?" For once, Len didn't mind his father calling him by his first name. The room was filled with a thick silence once the question was asked. Len really didn't prefer telling others what had happened to him over the 2 years he was away. It was horrible. The things done to him, the things he had to do, and the choices he was forced to make.

Miku looked up at him expectantly.

"It's...a long story." Len settled with, looking down at the floor once again. He felt a smaller hand on his soon after he uttered those dreadful words, and for once he took comfort in it instead of being flustered like he usually would. Yohio sighed.

"Well...as you can see, we have a lot of time on our hands..." Len looked at Yohio, then at Miku. Should he really tell them...?

A moment of doubt ran through his head, then he remembered that these were people he loved. People he could...trust.

"All right, then. It started 2 years ago, when I was 14."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Len**_  
"It wasn't supposed to be like this at all. I was supposed to just be a useless pawn to get to what actually mattered- Rin. She was unique, and she had something they were looking desperately for- something called _Laristatem_." The word rolled off of Len's tongue bitterly and full of venom. Laristatem was the reason his life was so screwed up. It was the reason he couldn't be normal. It was what would shape _their_ treacherous vision of the new world. If that God-awful thing didn't exist, life would be so much better. But, nope, everything has be complicated and difficult to handle.

Both luckily and unluckily, Laristatem was extremely rare, only being found in a few people. It was lucky because it meant that getting the Laristatem was an extremely difficult task, which would obviously delay their plans. Unlucky, because if they found those who had it, they would do whatever they could to have that person in their possession.

Yohio looked at him with horror. "Laristatem...Rin has it?"

" _Had_ it." Len corrected. Yohio looked surprised at this, then his expression slowly changed to one of confusion. He studied Len with his ruby red eyes carefully.

"But...the only way to get rid of it from a person, is to transfer it, right?" Yohio cautiously asked. Len nodded.

"This Laristatem thing..." Miku muttered from next to him. "Who did it transfer to, then? If this thing- whatever the hell it is, because you haven't explained it yet- is as rare and if they want it so much is with someone else, won't they be in danger?"

"That person can protect himself," Len mumbled. "And the people they care about." Len

"But who is it, Len?" Yohio asked, his voice firm and sharp. He stared at Len with piercing eyes, and tension quickly filled the room as they awaited the Kagamine's response. He knew that they knew it, and they knew it, too. The two of them knew, deep down, who it was. They just didn't want to believe it until they heard it for themselves.

"...Me."

The room was quiet. Len didn't look anyone in the eye, his expression stoic. Miku looked at Len, though she did not look surprised.

"Of course..." She sighed. "Len Kagamine, the infamous, mystery shrouded, 16 year old who'd do anything for his family." She brushed a lock of hair out of her face. Len was vaguely surprised that she didn't throw an insult in with what she'd just said, but given their current situation, Len could see why she'd be so serious.

"Is that why they're targetting you?" Yohio muttered. "Because...because you have that cursed _thing_ in you? As if that wasn't bad enough?" Len rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Though, admittedly, the Laristatem itself was a huge part as to why Blackport wanted him so much, their reasons, like everything, had much darker undertones to it. Obviously, he would prefer not to tell Miku. The less she knew, the safer she was.

"...Yeah." Len lied. "That's pretty much it." Thankfully for Len, neither Miku or Yohio sniffed out his fib. The tealette next to him gazed at the wall on the opposite side of her.

"Why do they need the Laristatem? What did they do to you to make you like this?" Len nearly flinched at the question he dreaded to answer. What was done to him, and what he's done was unspeakable. He never wanted anybody to know what he's become over the short span of 2 years. They would be disappointed and terrified.

Naturally, the Kagamine didn't reply at first. However, this only caused Yohio to realize half of what Miku had asked. His eyes widened, then they turned dark with fear.

" _Torture_."

Len snapped his fingers. "Correct-o. For a really long time, I was their punching bag. Luckily, I've always been a determined son of a bitch." Yohio looked like he was going to be sick, despite Len's attempt to make the situation not as heavy. Miku looked like she just realized something.

"The scars and marks on your torso...it's from that?" She asked. Len nodded hesitantly. He couldn't take back what he admitted, so he might as well be honest.

"You've seen...him shirtless?" Yohio asked slowly. Miku nodded.

"Countless times." She confirmed. Yohio stared at the two in shock, his eyes darting back and forth between them. Then, Miku seemed to process what Yohio must have meant.

"N-Not like that!" She assured. "Dumbo over here gets in a lot of fights and doesn't want to go to the hospital, so he makes me his private doctor instead." Len rolled his eye.

"Fights?" Yohio asked. "Why? What is it that they want?" Len sighed softly.

"I'll confess, I start some of them," the Kagamine admitted, "but they _deserv_ e it. They've done some things that can never be undone, and they'd find me one way or another."

"What they want," Len continued, "is to fuck up the world without the world itself even knowing about it. Blackport is like that one shady guy who slips drugs into a girl's drink, and the world is that girl. But, first, they have to find the right time to do this. They also have to find the right kind of... _drug,_ if you will." Miku looked confused, not that Len could exactly blame her. He had yet to tell her of what Blackport wanted to do, or more specifically, how they wished to achieve what they wanted. Len was trying to hold off from answering that question while he was still in the place that he was in.

"Is that where you come in?" Len nodded, a small sigh escaping from his lips.

"Yep," Len said. "I'm the metaphorical drug. Which kinda sucks, since I really don't want to be a part of that whole stupid plan they've got going on. It's bullshit, and I can't live properly until that problem is resolved."

Miku put her head in her hands, her teal hair falling and covering her face. It was a rather...strange look for someone like Miku. Miku Hatsune was the bold, strong girl who never gave up or felt hopelessly and utterly defeated. She was loyal and would make the best friend or partner anyone could ask for. At least, that's what Len thought. He didn't want to see her look like that- like she was small and terrified.

"What- What exactly are they planning to do with you...?" Miku asked in a small, quiet voice.

Before Len could properly respond, the same men that escorted Miku and Len out of their cell came into the room, slamming the door open with a loud _bang!_ Miku jumped a little bit and quickly looked up as they neared. Len glared at the two, sitting a little bit straighter, almost as if he was trying to shield Miku from something.

"All three of you," Ordered one of them. "You're coming with us. So, get your asses up and let's not make this difficult." Len helped Miku up, though he knew that she was perfectly capable of doing so herself. Nonetheless, he felt the need to be around her, and the urge to help her in every way possible was strong. After all, he got her into this mess. And now, he had to get her out. One of the men went for Miku first, but this time instead of using handcuffs, he bound her hands together with rope. She winced as he tightened the rope. Len glared. The man was buff and bald, looking like he could be a wrestler or boxer. Len had easily taken down men of that size before, though now he was limited due to an injury.

"Hey, watch it, Baldy." Len warned. The man just snorted and turned to look at him. He was very muscular and tall, tall enough to tower over Len menacingly. He stood right in front of the blonde, glaring down at him with a smirk, as if he expected Len to be afraid him. He probably didn't even know about what Len was capable of doing.

"What was that, Blondie?" He cooed. Len wasn't fazed by Baldy's height- instead, his glare turned deadlier the closer he got to him. Len wouldn't care if someone were to stab his thigh with a fork or knife, or if they were to starve and beat him for a year. But if someone were to do so much as pluck a single strand from Miku's head, he'd already be planning where to dump the body. Ever since Len came back into town, disappearances and the body count has become higher.

Len didn't have anything to do with something like that, though, because he was such an innocent and classy guy who was so friendly and sweet that he couldn't even kill a fly.

"I told you to _watch it."_ Len replied, keeping his voice as stable as possible. Len wasn't sure what the pristine, white walls and white tiles have witnessed in that room, but he was sure that they were about to witness a murder if Miku hadn't said anything.

"Please, Len," She said softly, looking over at the Kagamine with pleading blue eyes, "just cooperate." Len looked at her, then at Baldy, then sighed. For her sake...he supposed that he didn't have to commit murder right at _that_ moment. He stepped back an extended his hands.

"Are you gonna cuff me or what? I don't have all day." Baldy smirked, as if he won some long argument. Obviously, to Len, that was bullshit. The metal cuffs soon found themselves on Len's wrists, and Baldy shot him a smug look as he tucked the key somewhere on the inside of his coat.

"You're lucky that your girlfriend spoke up, _little one_." Len had to literally bite his tongue to stop himself from letting a string of curses and insults escape from his mouth. It wasn't that Len had an anger issue or anything, because usually he'd be able to keep his cool. But that day was just terrible, so to say that he was beyond pissed off from the events that recently occurred was an understatement. Not only that, but he had the huge urge to punch that guy in the face ever since he walked into the room.

"Very lucky." Len spat out through grit teeth. The other man finished cuffing Yohio. He nodded to Baldy and pulled out a black bag. Baldy did the same to Miku and Len.

"Again?" Len whined. "Why do we need this?" Neither of the men replied to Len, but instead led them out of the room. Considering that Baldy was not only guiding Len, but probably Miku as well, Len's unease was not irrational.

Everything was dark, obviously, considering that Len's entire head was covered in a cloth bag or whatever the hell that thing was made of. All was quiet except for the sounds of their footsteps echoing throughout what Len assumed to be a hallway.

Baldy's hand gripped Len's shoulder tightly. Thankfully, it was the uninjured one, so it didn't hurt at all. They continued their trek in silence, the hallway seeming to stretch on forever. Len's hand grazed Miku's for a moment, and he was filled with guilt. He got Miku involved into his horrible, fucked up situation. He selfishly let Miku try to get involved, and he selfishly charged headfirst into a situation without thinking about his loved ones.

Deciding to ditch his pride, Len's hand hesitantly found its way to Miku's. He could tell, even without seeing her, that she was surprised at this, but nonetheless, she intertwined their fingers. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. It was his silent way of attempting to tell her that he'd get her to safety as soon as he can.

Then, suddenly and without any warning whatsoever, there was a grunt of pain from what sounded like Baldy's partner, followed by the sound of rushing footsteps and the absence pf Baldy's presence.

"Shit-" There was the sound of flesh hitting flesh, and before Len could really register what just happened, the bag was pulled off his head and, hallelujah, he could see again. The first thing he noted was that the hallway Len presumed that they were in was much bigger than he imagined. The walls were white, most likely made of marble or some other hard surface. The floor was grey and made of tile, as Len had predicted, and there were several doors on both sides of the hallway that were the same color. Each door shined brightly, as if hey had been cleaned recently, which Len found a little odd. He didn't peg Tei as a clean freak,but then again, he was sure that Miku didn't peg him as someone who was wanted by a powerful organization. On second thought, considering the way he acted at times...

"I can use some help, Dumpling!" Yohio hollered as Len took the bag off of Miku's head. Len growled.

"Don't call me that!" He roared as he turned, jumping up to kick someone who walked out of one of the rooms in the face. He didn't even know who that person was, but he was so absorbed in the fact that Yohio called him Dumpling (in front of Miku, especially) that he didn't really care. With his hands still in the handcuffs, Len miraculously managed to get Miku's wrists free of the rough, scratchy rope. He smoothed down her hair, which was a little messy from the bag.

"If you need help, or something's happening to you, yell for me. I'll be there faster than the speed of light." Miku nodded, and Len set off to assist his father in kicking ass.

The two men were ganging up on Yohio, who was beginning to get backed up into a wall. Len kicked Baldy's ankle, using his foot to sweep the guard's ankle towards Len. Baldy stumbled before turning around and swinging almost blindly. As Len suspected, Baldy depended more on his muscle and strength than skill. That was an advantage to Len.

Now, let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of this fight.

Len was far more skilled in fights than Baldy, who relied on his strength to settle the problem and thought nothing of thought itself. That was an advantage for Len. It also appeared that Tei told them not to kill Len, so that was another advantage. Yohio, who seemed to be skilled in fighting as well, was also on Len's team. Another advantage for Len.

However, Baldy had the advantage of having the Kagamine cuffed and injured, and therefore far weaker than he usually was. Although Len was fairly experienced in being bound and fighting at the same time, he was still uneasy at the fact that blocking and hitting would be much more difficult. Len also had the disadvantage of being wounded. He was shot not too long ago, and yet here he was, fighting some muscular guy with his father that was supposed to be long gone.

Len stepped back and curled both of his hands into fists and swung them upwards, hitting Baldy under the chin. The handcuffs scraped Len's skin, and the pain in his shoulder flared lightly, almost as if it was a warning about his current condition.

Baldy charged forth with a very, _very_ angered expression on his face, making it obvious that he had a rather short temper. Len stepped back, barely managing to dodge each hit that was savagely thrown at him. Len decided that he had to be careful. Miku specifically told him to be cautious since he could hurt himself due to his injury. He believed her, too; those pains he felt from doing the slightest things hurt like hell. He could only imagine what it'd feel like if he tried to go all out.

Len ducked yet another punch from his opponent when he made the mistake of hurriedly stepping back, resulting in the usually smooth and stealthy blonde to trip and fall onto his back. His shoulder stung as he lay there, quickly deciding his next course of action. Baldy swung down at Len with what looked like a crowbar. Len rolled to the left, the crowbar barely missing the side of his face.

Len was starting to think that maybe Baldy forgot about whatever the hell Tei's orders were and actually wanted to kill him. Looks like he lost one advantage he had in the fight.

Len looked to his right and spotted something that was sure to help him. It was almost as if the gods were smiling down upon him, urging him to survive and kill the bald asshole trying to bash his face in.

Len made a grab for the knife, but it wasn't long before he was at it with his best buddy again. The man grabbed Len by the ankles and dragged him back- _away_ from his source of hope, damn him- and sent a nice, hard kick to his side. Len flinched slightly, since Baldy was a rather strong guy and obviously had a mean kick, and brought his hands up right as a crowbar flew toward his face.

"Are you okay, Dumpli- Len?" The blonde heard his father yell from somewhere else. Somehow, Yohio was still fighting off the other guy, just as Len was currently doing. Luckily for Len, the crowbar hit the chain that linked the two handcuffs on his wrists together. Both luckily and unluckily for Len, the handcuffs didn't break. If they broke, then Len would probably have a face full of steel, but that would also mean that his hands would be freed, and he could always attempt to dodge the hit. Len grit his teeth, not sure if he should curse or thank Tei for getting such strong handcuffs.

"Peachy," He hollered in response, "remember what you told me when I was little about getting bullied or some shit like that?" Yohio has always been a 'no nonsense' type of guy who wanted his kids to grow up to kick ass if needed, which is why he never poisoned his children with the 'if you get hit, tell an adult' bullshit. Len cast a glance at the knife. So close, yet so far...

"Uh- _what_?"

"You told me that if someone punched me, I should punch back harder. If they kick me, I should kick them back, only harder." Len replied. He had realized something, something that could lead to the downfall of Baldy. Len rolled away yet again as Baldy tried to strike a blow at him, this time around his chest area.

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"Nothing, really," Replied Len as he got to his feet. "Just wanna thank you for your great advice." Len kicked Baldy's kneecap from the ground, hitting it upwards. His main goal was to damage the kneecap. Len wasn't a huge nerd in anatomy, but he was pretty sure that Baldy would have a hard time walking with a dislocated or shattered knee cap.

Len swiftly got to his feet and struck another, hard hit at Baldy's other knee. Len's opponent staggered with a grunt, and Len swept his feet out from under him. Baldy landed with a very loud _thud!_ and Len sprinted to where the knife was. He wasn't sure if he actually managed to damage Baldy's knees. If he failed in doing so, Baldy could be getting up any second. Len slid to the floor and grabbed the knife, and his thought process stopped and his instincts kicked in.

The next thing he knew, he was standing, the knife he held buried deep in Baldy's throat. Baldy gurgled for a moment, then in one swift and effortless motion, Len drew the bloodstained knife out as Baldy fell.

He searched for Yohio. When Len spotted the fellow blonde, he was pressed against the wall, the guard's hands wrapped around his throat. Before Len could go to his aid, the guard fell to the floor. Behind him was Miku, her trembling hands gripping the crowbar that was once used to try and kill Len.

Yohio gasped for breath as soon as the guard let go. "A-Are you okay?" Miku asked quietly. Yohio nodded, while Len stared at Miku like a proud father.

"Yep," Yohio said, clearing his throat. He looked at Len with a crooked smile. "I liked her before, but now I really, _really_ like your girlfriend!" Len shot Yohio a withering glare and turned around, convincing himself that he only hid his face from the two was to get the key from Baldy's coat.

"Shut up!" Len snapped heatedly. "How many times do I need to say it? We're not dating!" He crouched down next to the body. A large puddle of blood already began to form, and Len kicked the body over with his shoe.

He heard the two make their way over, which was quickly followed by a whimper from Miku. "O-Oh..." She whispered quietly. Len sighed.

"Yeah..." He mumbled as he groped the inside of Baldy's jacket, searching for a hidden pocket of some sort. "Just...look away, alright?"

"I-It's fine." She said. "I can handle it..."

"Gotcha," Len muttered under his breath. He slid his hand into the pocket and brought the key out. "Get over here, Yohio." Yohio pouted as he brought his wrists forwards.

"Can't you call me 'Dad?'" Yohio asked as Len unlocked the cuffs. They came off, and Yohio shook them to the ground, rubbing his wrists. Len rolled his eyes.

"Now isn't the time," He replied as Yohio unlocked his handcuffs. Len picked up the knife he set down as soon as the handcuffs were off. He almost let out a sigh of relief- oh how he missed having free hands.

"So...what now?" Miku asked. Yohio looked at Len somewhat grimly. It was like this was some messed up game, where their main goal was to escape and the final boss that stood between them and freedom was Tei.

Len cast a look at the long hallway. There was a left turn after that, leaving what was beyond out of sight. He held the knife with a tight grip.

He wasn't fighting only for himself anymore. He didn't have to worry about only his safety when facing a dangerous opponent. He was now fighting for two other people. He had to be powerful and quick. A wave of something washed over him for a moment- vulnerability. He regained his usual confidence quickly, deciding not to doubt himself in fear that it would make matters worse for him. If you doubt yourself in s fight, you lose. Plain and simple.

"We find a way out."

 **the fight scene was terrible for me to write jesus christ**

 **also wow next chapter will be in rin's pov, surprisE**


	4. Chapter 4

_**its only been like 1 whole year wass good yall lmao**_

 _ **Rin**_

"You know that you won't get anything done like that, right?" Neru murmured, her honey eyes glancing at Rin for a split second before darting back to the teacher in the front of the room, who continued babbling on about the French revolution despite none of the students really paying attention, the only exception being the class nerd who'll most definitely ace every test, quiz, and assignment that year.

Rin was supposed to be working on a worksheet that was passed out nearly 10 minutes ago, but instead she spent the majority of her time staring at the paper, which was devoid of her writing. The paper was two sided and held questions about the unit the class was on, which was the French revolution. It wasn't that the worksheet was difficult, because it really wasn't. Rin just got lost in her daydreams, her deep thoughts.

She sighed, figuring that she should probably at _least_ write her heading on the paper and start off on the multiple choice questions. They were the easiest.

"Yeah, I'm well aware." Rin mumbled back, her eyes fixated on the paper as she circled the answers to the questions. "I'm just thinking."

"Oh? Of what?" Neru asked, genuine curiosity in her voice. By now, the teacher had stopped talking and was instead writing something on the board, handwriting pleasantly neat and big enough for the people in the back to see. That was one of the things that Rin liked about her history teacher- he always wrote his words on the blackboard big and neat. In Rin's other classes where she found herself in the back of the classroom, the teacher's handwriting was either too small or too sloppy for her to read from where she sat, resulting in poor note-taking skills that'll ultimately come back to haunt her later when she found herself in need of studying. "Also, where's Len? And Miku? You think they're...uh..."

Rin looked over to find Neru giving her a suggestive look, her fingers on her right hand making a circle. Before she could fully finish conveying her message- which Rin had _clearly_ received- Rin let out a low hiss and slapped her other hand, which was approaching the circle she made, only one index finger out.

"Sweet _Jesus_ , I do _not_ need to have that image seared into my brain for the rest of my life!" Neru grinned at Rin innocently.

"You _know_ they're gonna get married. Better to accept it early." Rin rolled her eyes, though she didn't necessarily deny the two of them getting married in the future. Len had changed a lot, sure, but he certainly hadn't lost his infamous heart eyes, which could commonly be seen when Len had a major crush on some girl once in a blue moon. It was a rare sight to see, and the fact that he's been giving Miku that soft, lovely, fond gaze after becoming so different only added to the fact that he definitely had a crush on the tealette.

Rin recalled the day they went to some cheap Japanese restaurant a couple weeks ago. The general restaurant was a pretty nice place for such cheap prices. The paint wasn't peeling off, the lights weren't flickering ominously, the smell of something stale, sour and gross didn't linger in the restaurant, and there was no chalk outline hiding timidly from sight in a dimly lit corner.

Rin, Len, Neru, Gakupo, IA, and of course, Miku were sitting at a table-booth in the corner of the restaurant, farthest from the entrance. It must've been a lazy day, because the group of friends were alone in the restaurant from the time until they entered to the time they left, full with the satisfying Japanese food that everyone craved from time to time. Len, IA, and Miku sat on the booth's chocolate brown, leather seats, and Rin, Gakupo, and Neru sat on the surprisingly comfortable, expertly constructed chairs across them. Neru and IA were chatting about something that Rin didn't remember while Gakupo occasionally interjected his "insightful" opinions, which earned him a smack on the head from both girls.

Maybe Rin was a little too into her bowl of miso ramen, because that large chunk of grilled pork was just too tempting even if steam rose from the bowl angrily like a warning, to notice and aid Miku in her quest to master the ways of the chopsticks. The poor girl was fumbling with the two slender wooden sticks almost pitifully as she tried to get a grip on one of her spider rolls (Rin shuddered in disgust and fear when Miku stated her order, but luckily there were no actual spiders involved) ineffectively. Len had been watching her struggle with an amused look on his face, as if he enjoyed watching his (soon to be girl)friend struggle.

Rin vaguely remembered Miku snapping at him, something about helping her before she starved to death, to which Len replied by saying something snarky as usual. It seemed that he was always full of snark, but it was just secretly a mild form of tough love. Rin, through her loud slurps as she hurriedly carried the noodles in her mouth, heard the sound of what sounded like Miku's hand hitting Len's shoulder. It was a sound Rin had grown used to, because her brother just _loved_ to tease her as violent as ever best friend. When you added a hothead and a someone who loves sarcasm and attitude, someone usually ends up getting smacked.

Rin remembered eyeing the two suspiciously as she drank her iced tea, deciding to observe them instead of attempt to help, because observing was far more entertaining than actually doing anything. Len tried to show Miku where to place her fingers on the chopsticks by showing her how he did so, first. Miku tried but failed. Len let out a snarky comment. Miku threatened to stab him with the chopsticks.

So next, he tried to show her slowly. Miku tried again to successfully hold her chopsticks properly but like all her previous attempts, failed. Len snickered and, apparently not learning his lesson from a literal minute before, muttered another teasing comment, something along the lines of, "What, you wanna do the cliche thing where I have to guide your hands because you're so clumsy? If you wanted to hold my hand you could've asked."

Miku snapped an angry retort back. Rin recalled it being something like, "Can it, lover boy! Don't forget that one time you walked me home and you did exactly that!"

Rin almost choked on her noodles when she heard that sentence, because since when did Len walk girls home and _hold their hand?_ Len, as it is, could barely compliment a girl, unlike his older days where well-crafted, thoughtful, and admirable words smoothly rolled off his tongue after being thought up within a mere few seconds. That was the charmer side of Len Kagamine.

The Len Kagamine now, though, probably murdered the charming side of himself and replaced it with the almost awkward, tough, probably scared to show affection, side of him. Rin sighed softly as she picked at a piece of pork, attempting to tear off a bitesized piece. She dragged the meat through the broth, frowning with eyebrows knitted in concentration.

"Oh- shut up, leek freak." He mumbled irritatedly, his voice holding the smallest, most miniscule trace of embarrassment that only his twin sister could pick up.

Len ended up having to show Miku where to put her fingers onto the slim wooden sticks by placing them there, wearily glancing around the table, most likely to make sure nobody saw his act of kindness, though he made it seem like he was committing some crime punishable by death.

But despite it, Rin saw something glinting in his eyes that she hadn't seen before, and when he caught her staring, he didn't deny any unspoken accusations, although a red flush didn't find its way to his cheeks. Simply, he glared at her and asked what she was staring at. _("Your good looks, Len. That's what I'm staring at." "Shut up.")_

It was in that moment that Rin realized that, recently, Mr. Heart Eyes Kagamine had been looking at Miku like that, maybe without even realizing.

But, then again, although her brother used to be a smooth talker who knew how to treat the ladies, he was as ignorant as he was flirtatious.

"Didn't you have a ginormous crush on my dearest blonde idiot of a brother from, like, 7th to 9th grade?" Rin retaliated, smiling smugly at Neru's increasingly flustered face, which was beginning to resemble a steaming tomato. Neru was always a little sensitive about the topic of having a crush on Len. He was probably one of her few serious crushes. Rin remembered her talks with Neru about her obvious crush on the blonde, which were mostly made up of Rin's teasing about how they would totally be sister-in-laws when they got older (although Rin knew her most definite sister-in-law would be a certain teal-haired girl who was mysteriously absent, along with her brother, which definitely wasn't fishy at all.)

"Oh- you!" She seethed, eyes darting around the room and landing anywhere except for the quietly cackling, evil blonde in front of her. "We do _not_ talk-"

"Ah, I see we have someone who's excited about history? The Terror, to be exact?"

Neru flushed a brilliant red as the teacher's voice rang out, loud and clear, for her and the rest of the class to hear.

"A-Ah, I-"

"No no," The teacher waved his hand dismissively at Neru. "I know you love history, that's why you're passing this class with flying colors right?" Neru drew her arms together, crossing them at her chest. "Can you tell me who started the Terror?"

"Maximilien Robespierre." Rin's hushed whisper didn't fall upon deaf ears, but rather ears that needed a hearing aid.

"One Million Robes-spheres!"

* * *

Rin immediately took note of the beat up, lime green '70's Chevelle parked in the driveway of her home. The thing was peppered with holes that looked suspiciously as if bullets had tried to pierce through them, with shattered windows and mysterious dents and enormous scratches to add to the picture of illegal activities.

Nonetheless, she continued to her home, but with great caution. Her feet were light against the harsh ground, and her slender fingers moving the key ever-so-lightly as she unlocked the front door.

"...no, she's a psycho...can't let Rin be...and end up in a ditch because of..."

The voices and fragments of a sentence grabbed the blonde's attention immediately, and she almost dropped her keys in surprise upon hearing someone- likely, an unknown person- utter her name, and having it followed by something that indicated her ending up dead.

Her heart jumped as she gradually made her way towards the living room, she realized.

"...No? Hatsune, I know you want answers, but later...I promise. Okay?" _Ah,_ thought Rin, _Len...he's home? From when? Miku, too?_

"Fine. I saw some stuff today, Len. I _d_ _eserve_ to know what's going on."

A small sigh of relief left Rin's mouth, the breath she had been holding for so long out of fear and anticipation now gone. It was odd that her brother and Miku didn't end up at school, but were instead speaking in almost hushed tones in her home. Len was an odd person, though, so Rin simply adapted to the behavior and looked the other way. She headed toward the room where the voices spoke with light and quiet footsteps.

"Hey, you two stayed home from school today...alon...?" The teasing words about to leave Rin's smirking lips came to a gradual halt.

Splatters of red coated Len's white longsleeve, and he held his shoulder which leaked crimson through the light fabric. His hair wasn't the usual _I'm too lazy to care_ type of unkempt, but more like _I almost died a few minutes ago_ type of unkempt. An angry gash ran across Len's forhead, leaving a small trail of dried blood, and Rin almost cringed at his tired appearance.

Miku wasn't much better, either. Her tangled, teal hair possessed the same sort of unkempt look that Len's did, and she was littered with small cuts and tears in her clothing. She wore an oversized obsidian coat that Rin could've sworn she's seen Len wear before. Rin's mouth spoke before she could realize fully what was going on.

"What...happened to you? Are you okay?" The pair looked at Rin with a surprised, almost scared gaze, their heads whipping around to stare at her. Rin swallowed at the enormous amount of tensity in the room; it was unlike anything she'd felt, at least around her brother and best friend. Rin walked forward, and Len stood with an outstretched arm, hand raised as if attempting to tame a wild animal.

"Rin." He warned, but her feet walked without her consent and her mouth babbled without her knowing.

"Is this why you missed school? You're bleeding, Len! Jesus _Christ_ , what happened?!" Rin's eyes swept through the room despite Len's vague protests, until they caught sight of an unknown man wearing an torn white outfit covered in dust and a crimson substance frighteningly similar to blood- fresh _and_ old- rubbing his temple nearby.

Len, too buried his face in his hands, only to hiss in pain- presumably due to the cut on his forehead. Miku pursed her lips pried his hand away from his face to push his long bangs upwards. But no teasing words came to Rin's mind, nor tones of suggestion. Her eyes were locked onto the man, captivated by the aura of mystery and the vague ache in her chest.

"Shit." Cursed Len quietly. The man looked up, and froze when he saw Rin. Then, a smile slowly spread across his face. Rin's heart called out to the man who she hasn't spoken a word to. Her eyes found themselves nearly pouring rivers of liquid melancholy, and she soon realized why.

"You..." She cleared her throat, and closed her eyes. The resemblance was uncanny, and she opened her eyes again.

"You remind me of...my late father."


	5. Chapter 5

Red.

That was the color that clung to the snow white walls and slid down the cool metal with a smooth, gradual type of ease that held a sort of menacing feel which followed. Vaguely mesmerizing, almost. The steady and slow rate which it traveled made the scene look all the more sinister, all while maintaining the consistency of what happened to those who crossed Len.

Len's knife and clothes were splattered with the same substance, for he was the one to strike down the enemies that stood in his path with a single effortlessly graceful stroke, save for a few times a few of the thugs were intelligent enough to pounce when he wasn't careful enough. They were never a trouble, though. Len suspected they had poor training if any at all, and dim minds to even think about trying to stop him after witnessing his knife smoothly glide across their allies' throats like a paintbrush across a blank canvas.

"Where are we going?" Questioned Miku from behind Len, peering up at him with curious eyes. She knew that he didn't know a thing about this place, like her, but he walked so confidently that it almost convinced her that he knew exactly what he was doing and where the exit was. But she knew better; this may be the scary killer who showed no trace of mercy as he swiftly ended lives with a single flick of his wrist, but it was still her Len Kagamine, who was tricked and captured in a place he was obviously unfamiliar with, just as she was.

He didn't spare her a look, in fear of turning his guard down at the wrong moment; the doors on the walls to both his sides held potential for an ambush. He gripped the handle tighter and walked with light steps as if he were trying to avoid some hidden trap or pressure plate. He knew that the last thing that Miku needed at that moment was having more delays to getting home, especially if one of those delays was due to him walking straight into a trap like an idiot.

He knew Miku was somewhat safe, however, having him in the front and his killer dad in the back. Because he knew that, he also knew that he shouldn't have the constant, paranoid thought constantly whispering worried ' _what ifs'_ and making him feel like an overprotective mother, but it's not like he could control what he thought and didn't in an environment like this with Miku around.

"Hell if I know." He replied honestly. His eyes scanned the area. Ahead was a large door, grand in appearance. Likely leading somewhere important, Len figured, from the carefully carved curved flowers that decorated the pale gold that heavily outlined the door.

"Hey- this leads to the... _room."_ Len could feel Miku's confusion, and he voiced his own aloud.

"What room?"

"The big room. Her ' _throne'_ room. It's where she interrogates people and all that fun stuff." Yohio looked toward the door with a mixture of disgust and hate in his eyes, and Len had to wonder what went on in that room to make him react in such a way. He concluded that with Tei's short temper, and the sarcasm Len inherited from Yohio, many unpleasant memories were left there.

Len thought back to the room where his plan went to shit, and realized that he knew not only the room Yohio spoke of, but also of the way back to the outside, to where he could definitely high-tail somewhere far away.

When Len opened the door, it was in fact the room where he'd been drugged in. The quiet echo from the door opening and the throne holding no person only added to the emptiness, and only fed Len's paranoia like gasoline in a raging fire. He was paranoid before, but the sudden lack of guards, and even Tei herself, was greatly unnerving.

He walked forth with his weapon at the ready, muscles so tense it looked like he would suddenly spring onto anything that did so much as move an inch with such a ferocity that it was nearly savage.

At the sound of a familiar, sickening voice suddenly speaking out into the quiet room, Len nearly threw his dagger at the speaker out of pure instinct. When he saw the silver, silky hair cascading down petite shoulders, his muscles stopped within a second, fingers grasping onto the handle to prevent the weapon from slicing through the air without thought or falter. He knew it would be a waste to throw it, because he knew that Tei was no mere goon waiting to be killed off like the minions of the big bad boss; she _was_ the big bad boss, here.

"So, you've killed my men. Good job." Tei held her hands behind her back and gave a smile so bright that the maroon of her eyes couldn't be seen. "Though, they aren't too challenging. They did roughen you up, though, right? But regardless of their failure..."

Her eyes opened and suddenly, she was a different person than the innocent looking girl from before. Len knew that the facade wouldn't hold for long, nor did he expect a compromise. Tei was smart enough to know that they were far beyond that.

"Did you think you could out of here, without going through _me_ first?"

Len sneered. "Of course not. What do you take me for, an idiot?"

Tei hummed as if the situation wasn't one to be considered serious. Maybe it wasn't. They both knew from the very moment Miku entered the room that only one of them would leave, and deep down, neither of them cared.

The thrill of sheer recklessness and itch to put their lives on the line for a cause they believed in drew them close, and resulted in the loud clashing of blades and blood being spilled.

In the end, only one of them indeed ended up walking out.

 _ **felt bad for not updating for a bit LOL so i'll write the 2nd half of this short chapt (dont worry ill be sure to include badly written fight scenes) right after i publish this one, so it shouldn't take more than 2 months to come out**_


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